Starting Over
by SabeOnPaper
Summary: Ani gets a second chance. Can he do it right this time? Please Review.
1. A Second Chance

**Hey peoples! This is my first attempt at a fan fic so don't be overly critical OK! R&R  
SabeOnPaper**

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Chapter 1

Anakin raised Palpatine into the air and hoisted him over the railing of

the reactor shaft. He cried out into the force as the sith lightning jolted

through his body. He collapsed onto the floor of the great throne room of the

Death Star. The last thought before unconsciousness fell upon him was, "If I

could only have a second chance." Then the darkness fell upon him.

Obi-Wan sat cross-legged on his bed, deep in meditation when he

noticed something. There were ripples in the force that were becoming

closer and closer together till they resembled a great wave. The wave

seemed to be coming closer and closer, until it reached him. As it reached

where Obi-Wan was and then suddenly vanished. After this his meditation

had become pointless. He was getting no where with it, so he decided to get

some rest and try it again tomorrow.

Anakin woke from a seemingly unrestful sleep and looked around at

his surroundings. He was in a rather small room that contained very few

personal items, Some of which he recognized as things he had taken with

him to the Jedi temple when he had left Tatooine so many years ago. Then

he realized something else, "I'm alive!"

It took several seconds for that one thought to sink in and when it did

he couldn't lay still. He scurried from his bed in a frantic attempt to get up

and was surprised at how easy the task ended up being. He was so used to

relying on the force for everything he did that it felt enormously freeing to

not have to do so.

The feeling of his bare feet on the floor was something he hadn't felt

in years. Then he realized something else, "I'm short!" He looked down at

himself and saw his nine year old body.

He stood there for a few minutes contemplating how he could have

possibly gotten where he was in the form that he was in. He quickly got

board of just standing there so he quickly got dressed and peeked out of his

door. Seeing no one there, he carefully closed his door and proceeded into a short hallway. He recognized the place as his and Obi-Wan's Home in the Jedi temple.

He quietly passed Obi-Wan's door and continued to walk around the small apartment. To all appearances he was in the past and then another more wonderful thing occurred to him. If he indeed was in the past he could have a second chance to do things right.

The urge to move was too great for him to resist. He found his training light saber in its place on a shelf and then picked up the training droid sitting next to it.

He powered up the droid and programmed it to level fifteen. As he turned on his light saber the spherical droid rose up and started its random shots at the boy. Anakin easily blocked the shots and shifted his stance to one that he was more comfortable with.

He leaped through the air with an ease achieved with a masterful grace. He fought like a knight though some of the stances felt rather awkward to him due to his decrease in height and arm length. The rest came with ease and precision. He summoned the knowledge that he had gained from his Jedi training and placed all of his emotions aside.

Try as he might, Obi-Wan couldn't get to sleep, so he lay in bed and thought about his new apprentice. Anakin had only been his apprentice for two weeks and was already showing great improvement in the basic saber forms. The only major problem was that the boy had no patience to learn. He was always rushing to get things done.

Just then he heard a faint humming sound. It took him a few seconds to place it but he realized it was the sound of a light saber. This rather alarmed him due to the lateness of the hour. He got slowly up and tip toed down the hall, saber in hand.

What he saw stunned him and both his light saber and jaw fell to the floor unnoticed. There before him in deep concentration was his apprentice easily gliding through the air and guiding his light saber with an intonation Obi-Wan had only seen in the most experienced knights. On his face was an expression of relief and joy, in what Obi-Wan had no idea.

Anakin raised his saber and it connected to the droid with a crack. The droid fell to the floor and on further inspection Anakin noticed a crack going up the side. He returned the droid and saber to their rightful places, being careful to be quiet. It was only then that he noticed Obi-Wan's presence.

Anakin slowly turned around, not nearly prepared for what he was about to see.


	2. Nightmares

Chapter 2: Nightmares

Anakin suppressed a burst of laughter the moment he saw his master's face. His jaw was hanging open and, by the length of the string of drool hanging from the corner of his mouth, had been for some time now. Obi-Wan was leaning against a wall near the entrance of the room. Fond memories played through Anakin's mind and rested on one of the many_**loved**_ lectures about how it showed laziness and it was unseemly to lean. At this thought he suppressed yet another burst of laughter.

Not in all the time Anakin had known Obi-Wan had he been able to catch his master in such an undignified pose. Half stunned and still leaning on the wall Obi-Wan managed to mutter, "How in the worlds?!"

Anakin then realized the cause of his master's words. "Sithspit! Hi master", he added sheepishly after his outburst.

In the mean time Obi-Wan had decided that the only way this could be happening was in a dream. _Maybe I'm just sleepwalking. _He thought to himself. He turned himself to walk back down the hallway. "I'm going back to bed," he muttered as he reached his door.

_That's probably a good idea. _Anakin thought and also headed to his room.

HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

It seemed the moment Anakin laid his head on the pillow sleep descended upon him and with it came nightmares. He saw himself doing horrible things and lay there wishing, hoping for them to only be dreams though he knew them to be real. He again witnessed his life and all of the horrible things in it. He saw himself killing Jedi and not just the masters, but the younglings and the padawans too. He lay there helpless to help any of them and thinking to himself _why_. Then there was a voice, at first too soft to hear then louder. Anakin recognized it as Padme's voice and she was saying over and over," how could you! How could you! Come bask to me!" He saw himself force choking her then he jolted awake screaming.

Obi-Wan awoke to Anakin's screams and jumped out of his bed, rushing to his aid. This wasn't the first time Anakin had had nightmares and Obi-Wan was pretty sure it wouldn't be the last. He hated how Anakin had to suffer through these dreams night after night. He reached Anakin's room in seconds, there he saw Anakin curled into a tiny ball on his bed. Between sobs Anakin was screaming over and over," no, no, no."

It took only moments for Obi-Wan to reach Anakin's bed and when he did he instantly started consoling the frightened child. "Shhh, it'll be OK. It was only a dream."

Pretty soon the screams softened into whispers," no, no, no."

"Do you want to talk about it," Obi-Wan asked with apparent concern. Anakin shook his head and his sobs softened to only an occasional sniff.

"Ok. Then let's get dressed and have some breakfast. After that we can go have some saber practice." Obi-Wan tried to keep Anakin from thinking about his dream too much.

Anakin nodded, not trusting his voice, and got out of bed. He and Obi-Wan finished their breakfast and Obi-Wan went to collect Anakin's saber when he spotted the training droid with the crack in the side. "Oh, no."

Anakin was right behind him and peeked around his master to see what he was looking at. He to spotted the droid and once again exclaimed, "Sithspit! I'll explain it all after we practice. OK." he said trying to find some way to postpone telling Obi-Wan the full truth. He grabbed his saber and led Obi-Wan out of the room whose face was one of puzzlement and confusion.

As Anakin led Obi-Wan through the halls random Jedi gave them amused looks. Most of them were used to seeing the masters leading the padawans through the halls instead of vise versa. Anakin ignored them all and continued to the gym.

When they reached their destination they saw an older boy trying to get his friend to spar him. His friend readily refused and they went on like

that till Anakin reached them. "I'll spar you!" They just laughed and told him to go back to his master. "I'm serious! If you're so sure that you'll win then what's the harm in sparing me?" They glanced at Obi-Wan who just shrugged and backed away to give them some room.

The boy looked around eighteen and was obviously preparing for his trials. He finally relented and marked the start of the match with his battle stance. Anakin did the same and the match started.

The boy charged at Anakin, trying to scare him off. This tactic was ineffective and was easily blocked by Anakin. Anakin then deflected his next few strikes easily, his saber backed fully by the force. Anakin force jumped over the boy and struck at his back, only to be countered.

The boy was stunned by how good this little padowan. The little boy looked to be at most ten and already matched him in the saber. The boy wondered how it could be even possible for that to happen. He knew that some students had a gift for it saber but this boy was force jumping and using the force to back his saber the way more of the experienced knights did.

Anakin was going easy on the boy to make the match last longer. Though it was a little strenuous to draw on the force so much, he had to so he could make up for the difference in their strength. _It's time to end this._ He thought when he saw a crowd gathering. In four quick strokes he disarmed his opponent and broke into a huge smile. "Good match," Anakin said as he shook the boy's hand. "You'll be almost as good as me if you practice more on protecting yourself than just trying to overpower your opponent."

"That's what my master tells me. Now I believe what he says about me being to open with my strikes. So you want to spar tomorrow too?" the boy asked eagerly. "This match has helped me realize some more of my mistakes." The boy felt that he was talking to someone much older than him rather than someone much younger.

"Sure, if my master consents of course." Anakin looked questioningly at his master who nodded.

After they had left the gym Anakin and Obi-Wan headed back to their rooms. "We need to talk," Obi-Wan said seriously as he closed the door.

"I know," Anakin replied just as serious.


End file.
